The technique disclosed herein relates to an imaging apparatus which is capable of shooting a still image or a moving image, and particularly relates to an imaging apparatus including a hot shoe to which an external strobe is attached.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-229276 discloses a method for obtaining information from an external sensor in an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera or a video camera. In the method described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-229276, a communication device including various sensors is attached to a general-purpose hot shoe (also called an “accessory shoe”) of the imaging apparatus. In the imaging apparatus, a circuit configured to supply a signal(s) to an X-sync contact (flash synchronization contact) of the hot shoe and a serial communication terminal is not necessarily designed to have a special circuit configuration, and the imaging apparatus can obtain sensor information at low cost by receiving a signal(s) from the sensors of the communication device through a general-purpose USB terminal or by, after conversion of a signal(s) from the sensors of the communication device into an AV signal(s), receiving the signal(s) through an AV terminal.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-162738 discloses a configuration in which an external strobe is attachable to a portable phone including an imager, and a function to control the external strobe by using a general-purpose USB terminal. In such a portable phone system, a standardized signal(s) is transmitted to the external strobe through a general-purpose interface (e.g., USB or IEEE1394) in order to enhance the versatility of the external strobe.